Rose Quartz and Her Moving Castle
by steakalicious
Summary: Greg Hatter is just a simple hatter with dreams to become a musician. Rose Quartz is a witch who travels in a magnificent moving castle. After Greg is cursed by a witch, he gets to know Rose Quartz more than he ever thought he would (Rose/Greg, Howl's Moving Castle AU) (inspired by radcalculator's drawing on dA)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Greg looked over his town in the window, looking over all the roofs and streets. It was a nice place, a small town with a lot of family owned businesses. The town was right on the edge of large hills, that made their way into small mountains. There he could see Witch Rose's moving castle, a large elegant pink palace with towers and spires. It was an odd castle. It seemed to move every so often, even though when you were looking at it it seemed like it wasn't moving at all. You'd look at it in the morning and see that it was right on the edge of town, and then an hour later it was on a grassy hill.

Greg let his legs drape over the windowsill that he sat on. His fingers strummed over his guitar in a half formed melody. Somehow, the notes weren't coming to him today, which was worrisome. It was usually easy for him to create a song. Yet, in his dull mood, it was as if there was a cork on his inspiration that he didn't have the strength to pull out. It was hard to work hard on his music when he knew in the end he was going to have to work in the hat shop anyways.

After a while, he set his guitar down and gave up. He went back to work on his parent's hat shop like he should have been doing. It was boring, tiresome work, but somebody had to do it, and his parents did the work most of the time anyways. He trimmed a purple hat, encrusted diamonds along the edge, and gave it a large silver bow. He went to work on another hat, but the doorbell interrupted his work.

"Heya, Mr. Universe, how's the work going?" Marty came in, smirking. Greg never liked him, but he did help him a lot by buying him a good guitar, and giving him guitar lessons. It was his dream to become a musician, so he couldn't thank Marty enough for helping him. He was basically indebted to him, which is probably what Marty most likely intended in the first place. Greg Universe was the stage name he made or himself, and Marty often teased him about it.

"It's uh- going great! We're doing better than ever!" Greg said.

"Yeah," he laughed, "I'm sure about that, Universe."

Marty looked with a cold smile over at all the hats in the store. Then, he hopped up to sit on the countertop of Greg's cashier desk, scoffing at him. It all seemed so dramatic, though that was what he was like most of the time anyways.

"Listen, bud. I got something I need for you to do, so listen up. It's real simple."

Greg couldn't help but feel a pit in his stomach. He realized that he didn't have a way out of doing whatever he wanted him to do. He knew that this day had been coming for a while now.

"Sure, Marty, what do you need me to do?" Greg said, not bothering to hide his sigh.

Marty explained what he intended Greg to do for him, and it actually was simple. He needed to make a hat for his girlfriend Vidalia for her birthday, with wax faux onions on it. Trying to envision it in his head, it seemed more like a joke gift, but the look on Marty's face was serious, for a change. Greg didn't question it, he expected a lot worse than making a hat. Though, as he thought about it, this really was the only place that you could get a hat like that.

Still, the best thing to do would be to visit his girlfriend and take in her style. That way, he can figure out what shape and colors it should be. After all, it wouldn't do if she didn't like her gift. Marty agreed with his reasoning. He told him that she works at Cesari's bakery, and that her shift should be over soon.

Greg headed over to Cesari's and stared at all the carriages passing through. He was wondering if there was a way to ask Vidalia what kind of hat she likes without being too obvious. Though he was great at music, social situations weren't Greg's forte. As he was walking, a stately horse drawn carriage passed him by on the street. He could only gawk at the magnificence of it. It was a dark green carriage laden with yellow diamonds, led by the finest Arabian horses. He figured that it must be the Queen Yellow Diamond, or someone else who had to be a part of the royal family to have such an amazing carriage. He wondered what they were doing in the small town of Dewey.

Shaking it off, he went into Cesari's, sitting at one of the empty tables. It didn't seem like this place had a lot of good business either, though maybe it was just wasn't grain season. Even though the sign outside said OPEN, the barista was nowhere to be seen. From what Marty had said, he guessed that would be Vidalia.

He heard laughing, and went into the storage room to find two people. One had odd, onion shaped hair, and the other much shorter with short lavender hair. He guessed that the one with the onion shaped hair was Vidalia. She also had a spiked collar on and wore trousers with ripped edges. Overall, she had a tough, masculine style. It looked good on her.

"Hey, uh- you're Vidalia, right?" He said, putting on what he hoped to be a friendly smile. "I'm Greg Hatter, I'm a friend of Marty's!"

Vidalia looked at him with a stoic expression, popping her bubblegum. Her friend snorted loudly, rolling their eyes. Vidalia was pretty intimidating, Greg wasn't surprised in the least that she was dating Marty. Those two together were the scariest couple in the town.

"Marty has _friends_? That's a new one," the person with the purple hair said. "And hey, I'm Amethyst."

Vidalia punched her in arm, lightly, but laughed and patted her head with a smile. She shook her head with a chuckle. Greg had heard about Amethyst before, she was a lot of trouble.

"But- man, I thought I heard that the Hatters' kid was a daughter. Not a son," Amethyst said, lifting an eyebrow.

Greg shrugged. He didn't want to explain his transition to someone he just met.

"Must have confused me for someone else, I guess. Mistakes happen," Greg said.

"So, what're you here for?" Vidalia said.

Greg explained what Marty had told him, and both of them exploded into laughter.

"Man that- that's priceless. He's really going for it this time, isn't he?" Amethyst said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"He's really something, all right. Okay, I'll give you me measurements."

"And, if you could tell me your favorite colors, that would help as well!" He said, giving her a nervous smile, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure, pal. Black n' yellow"

She stood up to leave and get a measuring tape, but paused.

"Oh, yeah, can you run the cash register while I go to the store and get a tape measurer? It'll be quick," she said.

Greg bit back from saying that she wasn't running the cash register in the first place anyway. He looked to Amethyst for help, she shrugged. So much for that idea.

"Yeah, of course!"

Right as Vidalia left, a swarm of customers came in to the bakery. He guessed he wasn't the only one who found Vidalia intimidating. It was nerve-racking to have so many customers to serve, but somehow he did it. He had no idea what was taking Vidalia so long.

The last customer was someone in dark green boots. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was a small child from their small stature and youthful looking face. It wasn't, though, as she wore a yellow diamond pinned to their green blazer. She also wore a necklace with a large triangle-cut peridot on a gold chain. Greg gulped, realizing he knew who it was. Peridot, the grumpy Royal Health Inspector.

"I am Peridot, Queen Yellow Diamond's Safety Inspector. I would like to inquire about the safety of these baked foodstuffs," Peridot said, her voice nasally. "The Queen herself demands a safety check on all locations that serve food stuffs, so she will not become ill on her visit."

"I'm Greg, but-"

Peridot rolled her eyes, signaling with her hands 'hurry up and get to the point.'

Greg darted back into the storage room to find Amethyst to help him. Looking around, she was nowhere to be seen. Where could she even go? She didn't see her leave, and the back entrance seemed to blocked by heavy boxes.

He went back to Peridot to see her looking unamused.

"Well, I don't work here, actually. Can you wait a while until Vidalia comes back?"

Peridot raised an eyebrow, marking something down on her clipboard. Greg could have sworn he saw her write down "the Greg" but he had to be mistaken.

"W-Wait! Please, this isn't something that happens often-"

"Being unprepared in the face of an inspection . . ." Peridot mumbled, writing more on her clipboard.

Greg pulled her a chair at one of the tables.

"How about I give you one of our amazing baguettes?"

Peridot didn't respond, but sat down at the table, laying her clipboard down and crossing her legs. She tapped her pen on the clipboard.

"Don't waste anymore of my time," she said, making Greg jump.

Greg rushed to make Peridot a fresh baguette, but was stopped by the jingle of the bakery's front door opening. He turned around to see Vidalia, holding a tape measurer.

"What took you so long?" he said in a quiet tone.

"Oh, the Queen was coming to your shop so the road was blocked," she said, shrugging. "Too many people came to meet the Queen, you know how it is."

"The- The Queen?"

"Yeah, I was waiting for you to come back, but you took so long working that both me and the Queen got impatient and left." She gave him a thumbs up, putting a paper with her head measurements in his hand. "Thanks for working hard for me, bud."

The Queen went to his hat shop and he wasn't there? He couldn't believe it.

"N-No problem, Vidalia."

He helped her make the baguette for Peridot, who decided it was "acceptable." Going back to his hat shop, he decided that he'd start making Vidalia's hat another day.


	2. Chapter 2

(Sorry about that guys, I never saw that this chapter was uploading weirdly! I fixed it up, and also tweaked the story a bit while I was at it. No plot changes, I just fixed sentences so they would sound better, and made a few things clearer. Also, thank you so much to everyone who favorited or followed!)

* * *

The next morning, more customers came in due to the Queen's visit, hoping to see the very same hats that the Queen was interested in. He felt bad about it, but whenever he was asked why he could only reply with "I wish I knew." He didn't know what the Queen was planning, or why she came to his hat shop.

After that disappointing answer, people left in a huff. Very few of these people actually bought a hat, and those who were looking to had to push through to get to the counter.

The crowd around his shop began to disperse at noon, with people gradually losing interest. Before too long, it was the same as it had always been.

Since there wasn't that many customers coming in, he started to work on Vidalia's hat. He started with the base material, shaping it and putting darts in it so that it would keep it's shape.

It would be just like her- rebellious, and strong, but serious. A solid base with a minimalistic approach would be best for her. The colors had to be yellow and black, the base being a light yellow and the ribbon being tar black.

He started to cut the fabric, pinning the linen to the base. It wouldn't long before he would get the hat done, if it wasn't for the garnishes. The black ribbon would be simple, but the faux onion would be much harder. He hoped that he could somehow find a fake vidalia onion too, since that would help to add to the joke.

It was time to take a break. He went out to the market, hoping maybe there would be a space open where he could play his guitar. When the shop wasn't busy, he often set up space to play there to get extra money. He'd put out his guitar case to collect tips, taking people's requests when they came. Naturally it didn't get him nearly as much money as his shop. It was having an audience that was the real draw for him, especially to show off his musical skills. The money was just an added bonus, really.

He glanced out into the marketplace. It wasn't too crowded, but there were still some people leisurely strolling around. There were a few families buying from the food stalls, carrying large bags of produce. There was also a few children further down, watching a trained monkey dance. There was also a small cloaked figure arguing loudly with a merchant, but he doubted whoever it was would stay to listen to his song. No matter. He would still play, even if no one was there to hear.

He put down his case a few feet away from him, strumming out his latest tune on his guitar.

" _Some say I have no direction_

 _That I'm a lightspeed distraction_

 _But that's a kneejerk reaction_

 _Still this is the final frontier_

 _Everything is so clear_

 _To my destiny I steer"_

A few people came to listen, standing around him. It was the families that were around the food stalls, still carrying big bags of food on their backs. A passerby wearing one of his hats smiled at him, throwing a few cents into his guitar case. She left as soon as she came.

" _This life in the stars is all I've ever known_

 _Stars and stardust and infinite space is my only home"_

When he looked at the people standing around him, he saw woman nearly twice his height wearing a pink shawl. He was startled- he thought he would most definitely notice her coming over, given how tall she is. But there she was, as if she was always there.

As she moved past to get closer, he saw her face more clearly. She was simply gorgeous- she had the kindest eyes, and full, glossy pink lips. She smiled at him, her dark eyes twinkling, and Greg had to keep himself from tripping over his words.

" _But the moment that I hit the stage_

 _Thousands of voices are calling my name"_

" _And I know in my heart_

 _It's been worth it all of the while"_

The woman nodded her head along with the melody, humming along. As she was nodding, her pink curls bobbed along with her head.

" _And as my albums fly off of the shelves_

 _Handing out autographed pics of myself_

 _This life I've chose isn't easy_

 _It sure is one heck of a ride"_

A family walked past, one of the adults throwing in some more coins. Two children also gathered around in the beautiful woman's shadow. Greg was surprised that she was still staying.

" _At the moment that I hit the stage_

 _I hear the universe calling my name_

 _And I know deep down in my heart_

 _I have nothing to fear"_

The children had already left, leavy empty candy wrappers scattered on the ground. The woman softly chuckled, and her laugh was as soft, gentle, and as mellow as her eyes.

" _And as the solar wind blows through my hair_

 _Knowing I have so much more left to share_

 _A wandering spirit who's tearing it's way_

 _Through the cold atmosphere_

At this point, it was only him and the mystery woman. Everybody else had left, even the person who was arguing with the merchant.

 _I fly like a comet_

 _Soar like a comet_

 _Crash like a comet_

 _I'm just a comet . . ."_

Greg let out a sigh, setting his guitar down. Singing was hard work, especially when he was playing the guitar at the same time.

The woman clapped, giving him a huge grin. Greg smiled back, picking up the trash that was left on the ground.

"That was great! I loved that song you played!"

"O-Oh, thank you!" he replied, trying to match her enthusiasm. It was an incredible feeling to see someone so happy over his music. "I, uh, think that was my best song, personally . . . "

"So far?" She asked with a playful grin.

His heart started racing even faster. He just might be already in love with her.

"Y-yep! So far."

"Then, I hope you'll be here next time I come here," she said, dropping some coins into his guitar case.

"Thanks, me too! I mean- I hope you'll be there!" he said, watching as she left the marketplace.

He hummed, putting his guitar back in his case. Though he loved music, he had to make sure not to spend too much time on it. Being in a small business, every hour of work counted for him.

He went around, shopping for various things. He needed to do his errands, and being his own boss, he could take a break whenever he wanted to.

Greg spotted Marty buying fish, and tried to move in the opposite direction, moving past the sea of people. Talking to Marty would just ruin his good mood.

While going trying to get past the crowd, he couldn't help but notice a head of pink hair, much higher up than all the rest. It had to have been the same woman who was so kind to him earlier. Despite himself, he wished she stopped inside the hat shop. It would have been nice, to make a hat that she would wear. Without thinking about it, he started to move in her direction.

He felt someone elbow him, and he jumped out of the way for them, startled. When he looked back at where the woman was, he couldn't see any pink at all. Somehow, he couldn't see her at all, even though she was so unusually tall.

Marty pushed him from behind, startling him yet again.

"Hey! Don't just stand there dazing off," he said with a scowl.

"Sorry," Greg replied, not meaning it whatsoever.

Was he really so entranced that he didn't notice Marty from behind? How did that even look, him trying to chase after a woman he's only met once? Maybe he just needed more sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_(A/N: Forgot to put this on the last one, but I'm really sorry about the slow updates . . .I can't promise to update too regularly, but I'll try to update faster in the future!)_

Chapter 3

The next day was the day right before Vidalia's birthday. Greg tried not to rush when making the hat, but still hurried to get it done, rushing a little in the process. He figured that Marty would want the hat on that day, and was probably going to visit him at any moment. He made everything up to the faux onion, which he still needed to buy the proper materials for. He was out of wax, and didn't have any fake plastic fruit left, let alone onions. It would still take some time to melt the wax in order to attach the onion onto the hat, and enough patience to do so without burning himself.

While he was closing the store and preparing to get out, Marty had walked up to his store. He had looked no more angry than he always did, so he wasn't too worried about him. Greg had bit back a sigh, smiling at him.

"Heya, Marty!" Greg said, opening the door for him. Marty had walked through, ignoring him and looking straight at the hat.

"So it's done, then? Took you long enough," he said, about to pick it up.

"No, not quite yet, sorry . . ." Greg said, shutting the door gently, "it won't be too long. Please come back in a few hours, okay?"

"You want _more_ time? I bet I could make this thing myself in half the time you spent to make it. . ." Marty grumbled. "I'll just take it as is. I don't want to waste any more time with you."

Marty tried to grab the hat, but scowled as Greg moved it out of view.

"No, Marty," he said, anxiously hoping to not mess up his words, "I'll get it done, really."

Marty gave an annoyed "huff," and crossed his arms.

"Do what you want. But, it better be here in two hours."

"Two hours," he confirmed.

Walking to the store to get the wax, he started to think about the woman he met. Her tall stature, her long, silky looking pink ringlets, and her soft, sweet eyes. More than that, she was such a kind soul, being so nice to someone she had only just met. Maybe it was a little strange to get so attached to someone you just met, but Greg didn't care. As ridiculous as it was, he was already in love with her.

Coming into the crafts store, he saw two people he recognized. Amethyst was next to an easel, looking at how to adjust it. Across from her, sitting on a stool, was Peridot. She was looking right at him, eyes narrowed, staring intensely. Nervous, he walked to Amethyst.

"Amethyst, are you an artist?" He asked, trying his best not to check whether he was still being watched.

"Nope," she said, "but, it's Vidalia's birthday tomorrow, and I know she paints."

It was surprising, imagining such an intimidating character being into painting. Marty had never said anything about her liking art at all, and he had to wonder whether or not he bothered to find out.

"She does?"

"Yup. I think it's kinda boring, but, whatev'. It makes her happy, so, that's cool," she said, shrugging. "'Sides, if she paints me, that'd be cool."

Greg smiled, thinking of Vidalia trying to get Amethyst to stay still to paint her. From what he knew about her, she didn't seem the modeling type.

"Hey . . . do you know anybody in this town who plays the guitar?" Amethyst asked.

"Oh, I play guitar, but I don't really know anyone else. And Marty, but I don't know if he still plays. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. That's cool that you play, though. Kinda cooler than making hats . . . no offense, though," she said.

"None taken," he said smiling. He couldn't agree more.

Greg waved at her a little "good-bye," walking towards what he needed. It was awkward to walk near Peridot, even though he knew she couldn't actually do anything to him in a public shop. When he got close enough, though, Peridot grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.

"Be careful who you associate with," she hissed at him. "Her Majesty has her eyes on you _._ "

"Y-Yes, m'am," he said, hurrying as soon as she released him.

Buying the fake onion, Greg all but ran back to his hat store. He wanted to just get the hat done, and rest easy without worrying about Peridot or Marty. He saw an ornate carriage in front of his shop. Did he forget to switch his sign to "Closed"? Looking at it closer, his stomach dropped. There, on the carriage, was the official insignia of Queen Yellow Diamond.

Stepping inside, he saw a tall woman with long, pale hair. She was muscular and broad shouldered, wearing a long orange cape fastened with a jasper pin. Her piercing orange eyes glared down at him, as she slouched over the cashier counter.

"Finally!" She growled out, showing her sharp teeth. "Who do you think you are, keeping _me_ waiting?"

"I-I'm so sorry, m'am," he said, feeling his heart jump in his chest. "Wh-what can I do to help you?"

She scoffed, standing up straighter. She was even taller now, though he wondered whether her intimidating personality made her seem taller than she was.

"First, you can tell me everything you know about Rose Quartz," she said.

"I d-don't know anything, though! She's the one with the moving castle, right? We've never even met!" He said, gesturing wildly.

She slammed her fist down on the counter, making him flinch.

" _Don't_ play dumb with me."

"R-Really! Why would I lie, I don't have any reason to! I don't have anything to do with whatever is going on! Please, just leave me alone!"

The woman scowled at him, rolling her eyes.

"If there's anything that I hate, it's cowards. And if there's anyone Her Majesty Yellow Diamond hates . . . " she said, grinning fiercely.

She took a few steps towards him. Greg gulped, trying to back away.

"It's _liars_."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Greg looked towards the door, hoping that someone would pass by. Through the window, the only thing he could see was the carriage that she must have ridden in. The horse leading the carriage, as he quickly noticed, was too shiny and strange looking. Instead of a regular horse, with coarse hair and muscular legs, it seemed to be inky red goo shaped like a horse.

Jasper thumbed over the pocket of her pants, fishing out some sort of pouch. Tugging on the drawstring to open it, she poured some herbs into her open palm with a grimace.

"Cheap magic like this are for weaklings who don't know how to cast _real_ spells. But, Her Majesty needs to know where Rose is. So, just this one time, I'll use it."

She threw the herbs into his face, making him jump back. Greg coughed, his nose and throat burning. He could only stare at Jasper, shocked and confused, while she threw her head back to laugh.

"You can barely stand _that_? I'm not even done yet!"

Chanting some strange words under her breath, Greg could feel the burning sensation get worse and travel farther, until his whole face and torso felt like it was on fire. Clutching his chest, Greg curled in on himself. He could only cough even more, making the pain in his throat worse with every cough.

"That should be good enough," she said, holding her palm in the air. Greg could immediately feel the pain subsiding, leaving him feeling dull and sore.

"Now, tell me again, where is Rose Quartz?" she asked, lowering her eyes to meet his with a scowl.

"I th-think I saw her castle moving the the east," he said hesitantly. "The last time I saw it, that is. I really don't think I've ever met her."

Jasper gritted her teeth, staring down at him.

"Please don't use that spell on me again!" Greg all but yelled.

She sighed, putting the pouch back into her pocket.

"I won't have to," she said bitterly. "You're telling the truth."

Jasper turned around, looking at her carriage through the window. As his heart rate started to become more less frantic, he started to feel less scared. He was still very scared, and he still hurt just about everywhere from the spell's aftereffects, but at the very least he knew that he would be ok.

"Of course . . . " Jasper looked back at him, her sharp-toothed grin widening, "I still don't want you to go around spreading what you don't need to . . ."

Greg froze, his heart stopping a beat.

"So, in order to ensure that, I just need to cast something so that no one can recognize you ever again."

Greg scrambled to his feet, but with a flick of her wrist, Greg was unconscious.

When he woke up, Greg had a pounding headache. He was at first confused, not knowing why he was on the floor, but quickly the memories came flooding back. He groaned, pulling himself off of the floor. Stabs of pain went through his legs, right at his joints. He gasped at the pain, grabbing the wall to support him. His legs and joints felt much weaker than they normally did, and even his sight seemed different. Everything was slightly blurrier and out of focus. Feeling another wave of his headache, he reached his palm to his head. His palm met a smooth, hairless head. He froze, putting another hand to make sure he was feeling it correctly. The other hand felt the same- no hair to be found.

Greg rushed towards the bathroom, regretting doing so when his knees ached even worse than they were before. Opening the door, he immediately stared at himself in the mirror.

What he had seen reflected in the mirror was himself, but also not himself at all. The Greg that he saw in the mirror was wrinkled, with distinct bags under his eyes. His skin was also paler and duller, losing it's youthful color. Most importantly, though, he was completely bald. There wasn't a single strand of hair left. All of his wonderful, long brown hair was completely gone.

Holding a hand over his heart, he tried to calm down his breathing. He used to be in fairly good health, save for a weak heart, so all of this was terrifying. He groaned, and tried to look in the medicine cabinet for something to soothe his headache. He took out one of the bottles, and groaned once again as he realized he wouldn't be able to open it. His fingers, now shaky and weak, couldn't possibly get the cork out of the bottle.

Giving up on the bottle, he put it on the bathroom sink and walked back to the hat store part of the building. There was two rooms to the building- his room in the back, with a little bathroom inside of it, and the hat shop.

When he reached the counter, he stopped to realize what he was doing. He had wanted to run out of shop due to habit- it was what he would always do, day after day. But would anyone be able to recognize him? The spell that Jasper cast on him made him look and feel so much older. If anybody would see him then, they would think he was his own father.

He thought for a while about what would be the best course of action. Staying at the hat shop was a possibility, but it could never be the same again. He wasn't sure if he could live with everyone he's ever known thinking him a stranger. There was other problems as well, such as aging. If he was a lot older now, would that mean that he then had much less time to live?

He nodded to himself, knowing that there was only one thing to do. He had to find someone to fix him of his curse, and there was one person he could think of who could do that. Someone who he wanted to know a lot more from, such as why the Queen was so intent on finding her.

He needed the help of the traveling witch, Rose Quartz.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He heaved the makeshift pack he had over his back, filled with food, clothes, and other necessities. Even though his back was currently killing him, he knew that he wouldn't be able to last long outside of the city without supplies. His feet, too, were aching as he walked on the rough terrain. He could see the moving castle in the distance, though, and he knew that he was getting closer.

The moving castle, which floated on fluffy pink clouds, was hovering near the mountainside. After some time, he had realized that the castle was climbing up the mountain. Unfortunately, for him that would mean climbing the mountain. Keeping his head up, he preserved. The mountain wasn't steep, so it wouldn't be too hard on him. He just hoped that there wouldn't be anything to surprise him. The end of the day soon came, however, and he had to stop.

Taking out his pack and sitting down on the mountain trail, he looked at the castle in front of him and wondered if he would ever be able to keep up with it. Even if it did move slowly, it didn't move slowly enough for him. He knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up if he exhausted himself, but he still regretted taking breaks, knowing the castle would only get farther from him.

There was rustling in one of the bushes next to him while he was walking. In the bush there was a scarecrow, crows crowding around it and picking at it. He yelled and waved his arms, and the crows flew away.

When the crows had flew away, he noticed that there was a huge rip in the fabric of the face. The straw was coming out of the rip

"Looks like you're ex- _straw_ stuck in there, heh!"

It was a good thing nobody was around to hear that.

Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he heaved to pull the scarecrow out of the bush it was stuck in. With one solid pull, he had knocked himself down to the ground, taking the scarecrow down with him. He could feel his old muscles protesting, but at least the scarecrow wouldn't be destroyed.

He put the scarecrow back upright, wiping the brow of his forehead and smiling at his hard work. The scarecrow stared back emptily, smiling at him with an embroidered grin. He gave it a wide grin, and walked back towards the castle.

As he walked, however, he could hear a tapping sound behind him. Greg turned around, expecting to see an animal. He was shocked when he saw that the scarecrow was hopping along behind him, following him.

Then again, a living scarecrow wasn't quite as unbelievable as his curse. Waving back at the scarecrow, he continued on.

Looking back at the castle, he thought he could tell that it was moving slower than usual. Walking closer towards it, and the castle getting closer in view, it really was stopped now. Hurriedly packing up his bag, he ran closer. He needed a head start if he ever wanted to catch up.

He quickly had to stop to catch his breath. Even while exhausted he still smiled, now knowing that it was possible to reach the castle.

In the evening, it was pouring rain. Both Greg and his knapsack were soaked wet. He was getting closer to the castle, though, and was soon within a few feet of it. He was running towards it, trying to catch up. Up close, it was much faster and much higher up than it seemed before.

The scarecrow behind him ran ahead, knocking its wooden arm against the door. When he got close to it, the door swung open. It was Amethyst, holding the door open for him. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Oh, man! Didn't see you there . . . Sorry about that, pal!"

Amethyst held out her hand, helping him climb up to the castle above, through the doorway. Greg caught his breath once he was inside, dripping onto the carpet.

"Wow, you're really strong," Greg said, still panting. It was true, he was still curious how she lifted him up. Amethyst was a good amount shorter than he was, not up to his shoulder. She didn't look very muscular, either.

"Maybe it's _magic_ ," Amethyst said, using jazz hands.

In the current situation, it was very hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Thank you, though!" Greg added, only now realizing he hadn't said it before, "For helping me up, and all."

"No prob, Bob." Amethyst nodded. She soon walked away, though, leaving up a staircase. Halfway up, she stopped, looking back at him.

"Oh, and, Rose didn't let you in or anything, _soooo_ . . . Don't let anyone know I let you in. 'Kay?"

Greg nodded in response, giving her a nervous thumbs up. From what he had heard about the witch Rose, he wouldn't want to get on her bad side either. The rumors about her were all nasty, making him sure that she wouldn't want him in her castle. Even though he knew he didn't have many other options, he was still scared of meeting her.

Greg placed the wet knapsack near the fireplace and looked around. Everything around looked very cosy and comfortable, and it all felt like home. There was a big bookcase on the wall filled to the wall with books, some piled up on the floor beside it. The couch faced the fireplace and had plush, soft looking cushions. They were pink, but looked more peach with the fire lighting it. He sat himself on the couch, warming his hands near the fire. His hands felt cold and numb, but began to feel warm again.

Staring into the fire, it looked a bit strange. The flames were shaped like a face, one with a pointy nose and wide eyes. It almost looked like the fire itself was frowning at him. As if it was alive.

"What are you doing here?"

Or, maybe it was.


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N: Sorry for the long wait!)

Chapter 6

The eyes in the fire glared back at him, shifted slightly as the blaze danced back and forth. The face was much more defined than before, clearly showing the frown formed by the flames.

He was so shocked by the fire speaking that his mind was completely blank. He supposed it was his old age that made things take much longer to process. In his chest, he could feel the dull ache of pain from his heart speeding up. He had always hated surprises, but now they were practically dangerous.

"I don't think there should be any reason for you to be here," The fire said, the voice high pitched and stern.

"Wha- Who are you?" Greg replied.

"I'm Pearl," the fire said, sighing "Now, like I asked who are _you_?"

"I'm Greg, I'm here to see Rose Quartz," he said.

Pearl's face was hard to see clearly, with the flames moving back and forth so quickly. But from what Greg could tell, her expression was softening.

"I did sense some harmful magic on you. You're cursed, aren't you?" Pearl asked, sighing.

Greg had tried to reply, to tell her all about her all about his curse, but no sound came from his mouth when he tried to talk. It was like his throat had completely closed up. He couldn't even nod, like something was holding his head in place.

"I understand. A lot of curses won't allow the target to speak about their curse. If that's the case for you, it's fine. I'm guessing you came to Rose in order to get yourself fixed up, right?"

Greg only stared back, not being able to reply. Pearl looked to the side for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought.

"You can stay," Pearl said begrudgingly. "I doubt that a cursed old man could really be that dangerous to Rose."

"Thank you so much!" Greg said, "You won't regret this, I promise you."

"I wouldn't be so quick to promise that," she said.

Greg nodded, thinking about it. He had jumped into this only thinking about himself, and didn't spare any thoughts to how it would affect Rose or her companions. He wasn't even quite sure what breaking off a curse would mean for either Rose or himself. Still, he couldn't turn back now. He had come this far, and wouldn't go back until he had at least seen Rose Quartz.

"Okay," he replied, deciding to trust her judgement. "I'll try not to make that mistake again."

Pearl's flames moved up and down in a nodding motion. As her flames moved, so did the shadows that were casted onto the walls.

"Also," Greg started hesitantly, not knowingly how to word his question politely, "you're . . . made of fire?"

"That's because I'm a fire demon," Pearl answered, rolling her eyes. "My magic is based around fire, although I'm _certainly_ not made of the same fire humans' use. It's all very complicated, I doubt you'd understand"

"Sounds like it . . ." Greg said. Fire demon? Maybe there were other demons as well. Wind demons, earth demons, water demons, maybe a demon could have any type of power. Rose Quartz must be even more powerful than he could have imagined, in order to befriend a fire demon. Or, perhaps, under her control.

"Would Rose get mad at you for letting me in here?" he asked, quietly. He definitely didn't want to get anybody in trouble, especially with a witch like Rose.

"I doubt it. Though . . . " Pearl grumbled under her breath, her tone low and quiet. It was like she was trying to be secretive, even though there were no other people around to hear them.

"Rose can't really help you. It takes a lot of skill for a witch to undo another witch's curse, and she hasn't learnt much about that yet."

Greg stared back at her, his eyes wide. He froze, shocked.

" _However_ , I can help you. Demons can eat curses. It will take a while, but I think I can get that curse out of your system," she added.

The relief that poured over him was indescribable.

"Thank you so, so much!," Greg said, smiling so much it hurt. "This means so much to me, thank you-"

"It's fine," she said, cutting him off. "There's just one thing that you need to do for me, and you need to keep it secret."

"I pro- I mean, of course, just please tell me what you want me to do."

Pearl made a humming sound, looking thoughtful. Her burrows tightened, she seemed focused.

"This might be a lot to ask. But, I want you to help me break the contract between me and Rose."

Greg gasped, putting his hand on top of his mouth.

"You want to be free?"

"It's not what you think. It's hurting her," Pearl continued. "When a witch or a wizard makes a contract with a demon, the magic eats them from the inside out. It's unconventional to do so, but I would much rather help her with her magic without destroying her. I can't do it on my own, though."

Greg nodded, though he was still confused. Though he couldn't empathize, he did want to help Pearl out. It sounded like she cared for Rose a lot.

"I don't know much about demonic contracts, but I'll do the best I can."

Pearl nodded again.

"That's good. I can help you along the way, so it's fine that you don't know much about it. My first advice though, would be to come up with a fake reason for being here."

Greg looked around, seeing the dust on the floor and the scattered papers on the table. There was lots of plates left on the table too, with half eaten food left on them.

"Maybe, I should say I came here to clean," He said, looking back at Pearl.

She nodded firmly.

"That's a great idea. Amethyst can help you out with that, if you need cleaning supplies or anything else. And, I know I said this before, but please do keep all of this a secret."

"I will, but how come?" Greg asked.

"If she knows that there was someone she couldn't help, or a stranger that got caught up helping her . . ." she trailed off.

Greg's eyes widened. From what she said, it sounded like Rose might be a good person. More than that, she was an incredibly kind person.

" . . . She sounds like an incredible person," Greg said.

"She is," Pearl said, smiling. "She really is."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

(A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long with my chapters- thank you all so so much for being so patient. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait!

Also, for the comments- aside from Greg/Rose, what Steven Universe ships do you like? I'm think of adding another pairing for a subplot, and I would like to use a ship that my readers would like!)

After Greg woke up, he decided the best thing to do would be to make breakfast for everyone. Ignoring his aching back and drooping eyes, he started to get out the ingredients necessary- bacon, eggs, and cheese. The pan, which was also necessary, was surprisingly heavy. He couldn't tell if it was his

He took out the pan, and then awkwardly stared at Pearl.

" . . . What are you doing?" Pearl said, in a mix of confusion and irritation.

"Oh, I'm making breakfast! Can't start off a day right if you haven't eaten right!" Greg said. "So, uh . . . "

Pearl sighed, realizing what he was implying.

"Humans can't eat raw food, I get it. Go ahead."

Greg smiled in gratitude, and balanced the pan with the bacon and eggs on it over her head. They sizzled loudly, as if in appreciation. He sprinkled some cheese into the eggs, hoping the omelette would turn out decent. Greg had cooked before, but now other people would be there to judge him. All that he wanted was to make a good first impression in front of Rose.

Though, his larger problem was trying to balance the pan with his weak arms. His hand was starting to shake violently, and he lost a strip of a bacon as it fell to the bottom of the fireplace.

Unfortunately Pearl wasn't helpful, instead grumbling about how useless humans are. He tried to to not get hurt by her words, but he had to agree. If he couldn't even cook breakfast, how could he break his own curse?

* * *

In a distant country . . .

Lapis' tiny water body sloshed as she pressed against the glass. From her position on the table, she could see Peridot checking her pocket watch and tapping her foot. The windows cast squares of light on the floor, the shadows casting lines over Peridot's strangely triangular green hair.

"She's always late," she mumbled, her tapping getting faster, "That clod. That big, dumb, musclehead. She's always criticizing me for the smallest things, saying that I'm such a terrible worker- me! The great Peridot!"

Peridot gestured wildly, causing dust to fly out off of the ground with her movements.

"Yellow Diamond trusted me enough to give me the honor of categorizing all of the restaurants-"

"The great Peridot needs to start paying attention to her surroundings."

Peridot yelled and jumped up in the air, much like a cat.

"J-Jasper! When did you get here?"

"About when you called me a clod." She said with a malevolent grin, baring off all of her sharp teeth. "Oh, and a big dumb musclehead, too."

"I was j-just testing you! And you did so well t-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyways, what did you call me over here for?"

"O-Oh! Well, look over there," Peridot said, gesturing at Lapis with a wide grin.

Jasper narrowed her eyes with a sigh.

" . . . A glass of water?"

Peridot rushed to grab the bottle, jostling Lapis around in the water with her running.

"Here! Take a closer look, you can see her tiny little face!"

"You captured a _demon_?"

"Yes!" Peridot beamed.

"You decided to risk your life, abandoning the duties that your superior gave you?"

" . . . Yes."

"Really . . . " Jasper shook her head, her low voice becoming a growl. "You're unbelievable."

Peridot recoiled into herself, looking even shorter than she already was.

"I w-was done with my work, and I had a great opportunity . . ." She said, weakly.

Jasper walked towards her, towering over her. Her scowl had only grown, and her nose was wrinkled in disgust.

"Read between the lines. The food part is just the cover. Yellow Diamond never eats. She doesn't really care about your opinions on food, she set you out as a spy."

"What?" Peridot said softly, turning her eyes to the ground. "Why wouldn't she tell me? She doesn't care what I think?"

"Of course not. _Most_ people would figure it out." She gave her a pointed look. "But knowing you, I figured you wouldn't."

While Peridot was staring at the ground, mulling over her thoughts, Jasper grabbed the bottle and held it up into the light. She was smiling again.

Lapis frowned in her bottle. Jasper was always like this. She was so inconsistent, only seeming to be mad when it was beneficial to her. Other people's emotions were of no importance to her unless they were useful.

"How did you manage to get her anyways?" Jasper said, with a chuckle.

" . . . She was already weakened." Peridot mumbled.

"Well, well. How about I take this off your hands, and I won't tell Yellow Diamond about this?"

"You have a deal."

* * *

Greg put the plates carefully on the table, admiring his handiwork. The table was fully set for three, napkins and all. He had poured them all orange juice in the fancy cups, setting the jug along with the dishes of food. He smiled down at his handiwork.

"Pearl! It's all done," he said, turning around to the fire place.

"Indeed," she replied.

As he was placing the salt and pepper shakers on the table, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

The first that he saw of her was her billowing white dress. The person that he sang with in the marketplace, with the lovely pink hair, was right there in the room with him. She looked over the table with a large grin. He guessed she was Rose's assistant, same as Amethyst.

He couldn't help but to blush when he noticed that her smile reached her eyes.

"I hope that you like it," he said softly.

She looked up at him in surprise.

"Who are you?"

His heart sunk. Of course, she would never recognize him now that he was so much older.

"I'm just here to help you guys out. Cleaning and stuff," he said, looking down at the table.

She chuckled.

"Don't you have a name?" she asked.

He started to think of a pseudonym, but stopped himself. There was no harm in giving her his real name.

"I'm Greg," he said, looking up to meet her eyes.

"Hello, Greg," she said playfully, holding out her hand, "I'm Rose."


End file.
